


Home for Christmas

by Ikkleosu



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 20:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17732003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ikkleosu/pseuds/Ikkleosu
Summary: Post-Finale fic. Not connected to any of my other fics.John and Kayleigh are excited for their first Christmas since they started dating 3 months earlier.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a short fic that I posted on Christmas Eve. But John and Kayleigh wouldn't shut up so here we are.
> 
> Now it's a birthday present for my wonderful cousin and bestie, Sarah @sarnix_82 . Love you lots!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“About time! I thought you were never coming!” Kayleigh exclaimed as John shoved a bag onto the backseat and climbed into the car.

“Gary wouldn't let up, thought I was going to be sharing me Christmas dinner with him the rate he was going.” John started the engine and wiped the inside of the windscreen with his hand, while Kayleigh wrapped her coat tighter round her body. 

“Aww he's lonely, John. Imagining choosing to work Christmas day? It's so sad.” 

John squinted through the windscreen. “Someone has to do it, alarms are all well and good but nowt beats a night watchman. And he's got Trixie for company.” 

“Yeah, but it's still lonely. I feel bad for him…”

Admittedly John had been feeling sorry for the security man himself. That was until he'd bored on about Trixie's stomach problems for a solid fifteen minutes. All empathy had ebbed from John's being at the fifth description of the retriever's motions. His mind had already been in the carpark, sitting next to his gorgeous girlfriend and imagining their first Christmas together. He had done his time being the Gary in the situation, choosing to work Christmas rather than face the reality that you would be alone. He knew he had always been in a better position than Gary - he had least had his parents, and Paul and the kids and Nana. But it wasn't the same as having someone for you, just for you. Now he had it, he was determined to make the most of it.

“I'm going to have to spray de-icer,” John said, leaning across to open the glove box. “You could have done this while you were waiting!”

“I didn't know how long you'd be, did I? If I sat with the engine running this whole time I'd have died of carbon dioxide poisoning… or is it carbon monoxide?” 

John rolled his eyes and chose not address that one, but instead got out and liberally sprayed the windscreen, and scraped the worst of the frost away whilst wishing he'd remembered to bring gloves to work.

“It's Baltic…” he complained as he climbed back in and blew on his hands.

Immediately Kayleigh’s eyes lit up. “Do you think it's going to snow?” 

“No, it's too cold for snow…”

“Why do people say that?!” Kayleigh exclaimed. “It can't be too cold for snow. Snow is frozen water, isn't it? I think it's going to snow.” She nodded her head resolutely.

“Well I've got some snow balls in my kecks here, that's for sure.”

“John!” Kayleigh admonished.

“Should have brought me parka…” He made sure the air vents were blowing hot air in his direction, and noticed that Kayleigh was distractedly looking at her phone. While leaning over to put the de-icer back in the glove box, he took his moment and pressed his freezing fingers to her neck. Kayleigh's resulting squeal nearly deafened him and took some of the triumph out of the moment, but he still chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Your hands are freezing!”

“I know!” John held his hands out in front of the air vent.

“Gimme them…” Kayleigh held her hands out to John, who obliged. “I'll warm them up.”

John raised an eyebrow suggestively which Kayleigh ignored as she blew on his hands, rubbing each one in turn between her own warm fingers. “Do you have to make everything smutty?” she asked.

“Huh, didn't hear you complaining the other day!” 

Three short months ago John had been determined that he was going to take things slowly. THEY were going to take thing slowly. He didn't want to be hurt again, didn't want to dive in until he was sure he felt what he truthfully knew he felt, and more importantly until he was sure that she felt what she was saying she felt. 

He’d lasted less than two weeks under that mantra. 

Once he'd won her back with the song; once they’d cleared the air in the car, it was really all pretty clear. He tried very hard to resist his instincts, to take the time he thought he needed, but there was only so much snogging in the front seat of a car a 40-year-old man could do with dignity. 

He hadn't had a lot of experience with women like Kayleigh - ones who knew what they wanted and made sure to let it be known when they wanted it. It was refreshing. It was challenging. And it was arousing as all hell. And once he gave in to all his instincts, he wondered why on earth he'd been denying himself all of this - all of her - so long.

Kayleigh brought his right hand up to her face and blew her warm breath on it then kissed his fingertips, before sticking his hand down the front of her blouse. John laughed as he instinctively cupped her breast.

“Quickest way to warm them,” Kayleigh shrugged.

“What about me other hand?” John waved his left hand, which Kayleigh grabbed and tried to maneuver down her front with its companion. The angle of John sitting to her side made it difficult, and after twisting his arm this way and that she pushed it back towards him. 

“You'll have to sit on it.”

“Charming!... What would head office say if they knew I was sitting in work with me hand on a subordinate's tit? I could get disciplined,” he said, whilst not removing his hand.

“Huh, what would head office say if they knew what we'd got up to in the supplies cupboard? You weren't worried about discipline then!” Kayleigh shot back, whilst waggling her eyebrows.

John shifted uncomfortably. God, he had been a bit too Reckless Redmond that day. But that was before he'd fully given in to Kayleigh's charms. Now they had a safe, warm bed to get carried away in.

“Yeah well that wasn't in public in broad daylight!”

“It's dark John, and we're the last ones here!” 

“Still…” John pulled his - admittedly now toastie warm - hand back. “We best get going…”

He put the car into gear, gave the windscreen one last wipe then quickly leaned over and planted a kiss on Kayleigh's lips. Kayleigh broke into a grin, and rewrapped her coat around herself as John pulled out of the car park.

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time came out of the radio as they joined the seeming throngs of people making their way home on Christmas Eve. The store had been an insanity all week, but today had topped it off and John was delighted to see the back of it - even if it was only for 36 hours.

“Did you see the woman that Terry caught with the Turkey?” Kayleigh suddenly asked, as if reading his thoughts. 

“Did I?! He put her in my office til the ambulance came.” 

“Ambulance? I thought Terry called the police?”

“It was both…” John rubbed his temple at the very memory. Some days in this job made him worry about the state of the human race.

“Imagine trying to get away with stealing a turkey by shoving up your dress and pretending you're pregnant?! Would have been more convincing if she wasn't about 70!”

“Would have been better if it wasn't a bloody frozen turkey!” John exclaimed. “She was on the verge of hypothermia, that's why we called an ambulance.”

“Oh my God, really?!” Kayleigh paused for a moment and looked thoughtful. “Maybe she did that deliberately? Better to spend Christmas eve in a hospital bed than a police cell.”

Trust Kayleigh to think of that. Ever the empathiser, she was always looking for a way to feel for people. John had lost that instinct a long, long time ago in this job - probably within the first few months of starting there. He teased Kayleigh about her softness but it was in truth one of the things he loved most about her. 

“Aye, maybe,” was all he said aloud.

“And did you see the punch-up in fruit and veg?” Kayleigh suddenly asked, returning to her previously animated state.

“I heard about it. All over the last bag of brussel sprouts, of all things!”

“Ugh.” Kayleigh retched. “I'd be fighting to get rid of them. My dad always called them boiled farts! Revolting!”

“Oh no, I love a sprout, me. Bacon lardons, fried with a bit of butter. Got to have that piled on with your Christmas dinner. It's not right without it.”

Kayleigh made another gagging noise. “Well, if that's the case I'm glad I'm not staying at yours tomorrow night. Don't fancy sleeping in bed with you after you've had a plateful like that.”

John immediately laughed. “Says you!”

“What do you mean?!” Kayleigh said with a head whip that made her hair hit against the passenger window.

“The duvet practically lifted six feet off the bed last week with your farts!”

Kayleigh's jaw dropped in exaggerated shock. “How dare you?! I did not.. I never… what a cheek!” But even she couldn't keep a straight face as John caught her eye.

“Hmmmm?” He grinned and raised his eyebrows at Kayleigh's reddening face. 

Eventually she let out a giggle and put her hand to her mouth. “I thought you were asleep…” 

“I gathered that!” 

“God, John, that's so mortifying… if I'd known…”

“It's not like I've not heard you before… and better in a room than trapped in this metal box with you.” He was enjoying her squirming and had been surprised he hadn't alerted her at the time, he'd struggled so much to keep from laughing out loud.

“Yeah but those were accidents, that was deliberate!” 

“It sounded it!”

Kayleigh slapped his arm then covered her face with both hands. “Oh god,” she repeated. “I guess that's that barrier broken then…” She suddenly looked up, her face stricken. “God, John, has it put you right off me? Do you even still fancy me after that?” 

John shook his head. If she only knew. She could probably bludgeon a seal pup in front of him and he'd still fancy her. He couldn't imagine anything that could possibly block the path from his eyes to his groin when it came to Kayleigh Kitson. 

“If you remember what happened a couple of hours after that, I'll think you'll know the answer to that one, dumbo.” 

Kayleigh pondered for a moment then smiled warmly at the memory. “Oh yeah…”

“I got covered in your piss first day you got in this car, if that wasn't going to put me off, nothing will!”

“Well, not this car,” Kayleigh corrected.

“No…” The red and white Fiat 500 had gone to the big scrapyard in the sky after the hedgehog incident, and was now replaced with a nearly new, plain red one. John missed the white roof. “Which is another point, you wrecking me car for a bloody hedgehog is more likely going to put me off you than a few farts…”

He could tell Kayleigh was wincing again and he did feel a bit guilty. That day back in September had been the most chaotic twenty-four hours of his life, but really much of that was his own fault… and sitting at the back of the bus holding hands with her was probably one of the happiest moments in his life.

He reached out and patted her knee. “It's fine,” he said gently, a statement intended to cover both the farts and the wrecked car.

Kayleigh squeezed his hand in return and began to hum along with the radio as John squinted out the window and frowned at the slow traffic. 

“We should have a Christmas song together,” Kayleigh suddenly announced.

“Eh?” John had no idea where she was going with this one, but that was nothing new.

“You know, like our song? But a Christmas song. One for us.”

John screwed up his face. “Is that a thing, then?” 

Kayleigh shrugged. “I dunno… it should be!”

John didn't argue. He wasn't convinced on the concept, but he loved how much of their connection had come through music, and he loved how much Kayleigh wanted to celebrate their connection in any shape or form. So he gave the idea some thought. 

“Not easy though, is it? Most of them are just about Christmas itself - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, Merry Christmas Everyone - not very romantic,” he pondered. “And definitely not Last Christmas!”

Kayleigh chuckled. “Last Christmas I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away,” she sang.”You'd better not!”

John held up a hand in protest to his innocence. “There's a few like that... Lonely This Christmas, Blue Christmas… lots of “You've left me and now Christmas is shit” songs.”

“Hmmm, yeah good point.” It was Kayleigh's turn to ponder. “Need to think about it.”

“Well, definitely not this one!” John pointed to the radio as The Pretenders’ 2000 Miles began to play.

“Aww but it's so pretty…” She began to sing along with Chrissie Hynde, and swayed on her seat. “...the children are singing, he'll be back on Christmas Day…”

“Time,” John corrected.

“What?”

“He'll be back at Christmas Time, is the words.”

Kayleigh frowned at the radio as if it had lied at her. “Is it? Oh…”

She sang snatches of the rest of the song happily, the joy of Christmas practically radiating off her. 

For the first half of the year John had been dreading Christmas. As a family they had basically ignored it all last year. His dad had passed so close to the day, everything was still raw and exhausting and unfinished. The piles of medication had still been sitting by his dad's chair, and there was still paperwork to do, things to sort out and a mountain of stuff to go through. But more than that, they were all exhausted. It's something no one tells you about death, the fact that sometimes it comes as a blessed relief for all involved. After weeks of vigils and mad dashes to be by his bedside, when the inevitable finally happened John had said a silent thank you. It was over, they could deal with it and not be stuck in this limbo period of mourning without death. He didn't think any of them had had more than a few hours sleep for weeks. 

The day after it happened he came down with a stinking cold and slept for twelve hours straight. His body had just finally relaxed and given in. And that bone weary exhaustion followed him all through the Christmas season. 

Paul had Lisa and Ben and Sophie to focus on, and he had to make sure it was special for them, which meant looking after their mum and Nana fell on John's already tired shoulders. Not that he minded, but there was no one looking after him. And the thought of doing it all again this year had filled him with misery.

Then suddenly Kayleigh came along. And everything changed. Now he had someone for him, just for him, and Christmas had taken on a sparkle again. 

“What about All I Want For Christmas Is You?” Kayleigh asked, interrupting his thoughts.

John pulled a face. “Bit overplayed isn't it? Besides, as we already established if all I got you for Christmas was me I'd be on the receiving end of a swift kick in the bollocks.” 

Kayleigh giggled. “True…” She leant over and grabbed his arm excitedly. “Oh John, I can't wait to see what you've got me!” She made a little squeal as she gripped his arm harder.

“Well, you'll just have to, won't you?” John gave a little chuckle. He was chuffed with the gifts he'd got her. He'd always prided himself on being a good gift giver, not that he went mental money-wise but he paid attention to what people liked, and that was the key. Still, there was one worry on his mind. “But remember, there's no engagement ring. I'm not proposing!”

Kayleigh sighed and threw herself back fully into her seat. “I knoooow, you've said like ten times, John. It's fine, I'm not expecting anything like that…”

“Yeah but don't go thinking this is a double-bluff! I'm not pulling one of those make-you-think-it's-not-happening-when-it-is to surprise you things. There is no engagement ring.” 

Kayleigh laughed. “I get it! Do you think I'm some psycho and going to go nuts if you don't propose to me? We've only been going out three months!”

“Exactly!” John held his palm out at his exclamation. “I just know what you're like, you get carried away, thinking your life is Love Actually or something.” He'd worried about this from about their second week of dating. He knew how he felt, and Kayleigh had made it very clear how she felt but it still all seemed way, way too fast. And he couldn't tell how much of what Kayleigh said was her being serious, and how much was her just winding him up. But the last thing he wanted to do was cock this up when it was all going so well. He just needed more time before that level of commitment.

“Stop worrying. I'm not expecting anything except to wake up with you tomorrow and enjoy our first Christmas together…” She leaned in and gripped his arm again. “Our first Christmas together!” she repeated excitedly and kissed his cheek.

John smiled and relaxed a little. First of many, he hoped. 

Kayleigh laid her head on his shoulder. “I'm glad we decided to go our separate ways for Christmas dinner, you need to be with your Mum.” Her voice was tender and sincere and it filled John's heart. 

“You could have come with me, Mum would love to have you?” 

John hadn't managed to keep Kayleigh to himself for long. He knew he wasn't hiding his happiness very effectively, in fact it was emanating from his pores. So, only a couple of weeks after the hedgehog/car/bus incident he decided to casually drop it into conversation with his mum. Barely had the words “I'm seeing someone” left his mouth before his mum leapt in with “It's Kayleigh, isn't it?”. Clearly he'd been hiding it even more badly than he thought, and so a week later he gave in and brought Kayleigh round for Sunday lunch. Inevitably the two women in his life got on like a house on fire, and ganged up against him almost instantly. 

“No, you all need to be a family, have a proper Christmas, think about your dad, start new traditions,” Kayleigh said, placing a hand on his chest. 

“I was hoping we could start some new traditions of our own.” The words had come out before he'd even noticed what he'd said. Sometimes it felt he'd been possessed by his heart, which was now in control of his entire body and overriding his head on many occasions.

Kayleigh sat back upright and he felt her eyes on him like a caress. “We will,” she said quietly, and touched his arm again. “I have some plans in that vein in my bag…”

“Oh really?” John leered Kayleigh's way and she rolled her eyes.

“Not like that. Get your mind out the gutter, John, it's Christmas!”

“What's that got to do with it?! People still have sex at Christmas!”

Kayleigh ignored him and pulled her hair over her shoulder. “Anyway, I need to go to my mum's tomorrow if I want to see our Keiran before he goes off to his girlfriend's.”

“We could have done both…” John offered.

“No, I don't want you spending all of Christmas day driving all over Lancashire. It's your only day off.”

“Don't remind me! Boxing Day is going to be a pile of shit, it always is. I haven't had it off in..” John paused to calculate and think back on his prestigious career in supermarket retail. “...17 years! Jesus! I should have been a teacher, they get two weeks!”

Kayleigh scoffed. “You're bad enough when there's a couple of kids loose in the store, John, you'd have a nervous breakdown if you were in charge of thirty of them.”

She had a point. He loved Ben and Sophie, but other people's kids were generally little scrote bags that made him yearn for corporal punishment to make a come back. “True,” he conceded. 

“And thanks for making sure I wasn't rota'd on for Boxing Day. I guess there's some advantages to sleeping with management,” Kayleigh added with an exaggerated wink.

“Not my doing. Kath Hilton did all the rotas… here, you're not sleeping with her are you?” 

“That'd be telling,” Kayleigh joked before meeting his grin. “But it's not like I'm going to be having a great day, stuck at my mother's.” She practically spat out the word. “I'd rather spend Boxing Day watching films in my pjs and working my way through a box of Quality Street. Instead I'll be listening to how I've wasted my life and why can't I be more like our Mandy.”

John looked at her sympathetically. Over the months he'd only got dribs and drabs from Kayleigh about her mother, but was enough for him to know it wasn't a fertile ground for Christmas cheer.

“You make her sound like a cross between Cruella deVille and Mata Hari... she can't be that bad… am I ever going to meet her?”

Kayleigh sighed dramatically. “John, trust me. I am keeping you well away from her as long as possible. Even on the remote chance she doesn't tear into you for whatever failings she thinks you have within ten seconds of meeting you... you'll take one look at her, think SHE is what I'm going to turn out like and run for the hills. I want to keep hold of you a bit longer, thanks.”

The “bludgeoning a seal pup” thought returned to John's mind. No matter if her mum looked like someone had melted Kayleigh in a microwave and added a few layers of Charlie perfume and Carlsberg, he couldn't imagine it would fade the image he had of Kayleigh being by his side for the rest of his life.

“You're mad! I bet she's not that bad, and I've no intentions of running anyplace, couldn't make it to the corner without being out of puff even I wanted to.”

“Well, that's reassuring,” Kayleigh folded her arms and silently fumed.

John felt bad he'd gone down a path that set her off and tried to get her mind back on happier topics. “Still can't think of a good song…” Step Into Christmas was Forever FM's current choice, and while John had to admit it was one of his personal favourites, it wasn't particularly romantic. 

“Oh yeah… I can't think…” She turned to John again. “Come on then Mr Guiness Book of Hit Singles, name some Christmas number ones!”

“Bohemian Rhapsody was a Christmas number one…”

“That's not romantic… or Christmassy!”

“When a Child is Born was number one the year you were born…”

“Was it? Not romantic though… doesn't make you think of me, does it?” Kayleigh curled her lip disgruntledly.

“Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West?” He was doing it deliberately now.

“John…”

“There's No-one Quite Like Grandma?”

“John!” Kayleigh's voice had taken on a warning edge, but John couldn't help himself. 

“Mr Blobby?” 

He barely got the word out before Kayleigh whacked his arm. “Oi! Bloody cheek!”

He chuckled and gave his arm an exaggerated rub. “How about Bob the Builder, Can We Fix It?” 

He gave her his warmest smile and Kayleigh rolled her eyes in resignation.

“Yes we can,” she replied dryly.

They were approaching his street now so he decided the game was over, for the time being. “We'll think of one at home...” John said, then smiled to himself at his choice of words. 

Mistletoe and Wine played them into his parking spot outside his front door. He had to admit the lights glittering from the houses in the street were pretty, and he felt a pang of regret over the argument he'd had with Kayleigha few weeks before.

She'd practically passed out the day he told her the only decorating he did for the season was the same 5ft tree he'd had since he moved out of his mum's. Horrified was an understatement. She'd even brought up the ghost of Christmas past in Charlotte, and asked had John's ex not wanted more decoration up? When John said Charlotte wasn't into that kind of tat he had feared he was never going to see daylight again. 

Thankfully after some negotiation and heavy use of management discount he'd got an 8 foot artificial tree, and a bunch of new - less fire-hazardy - decorations. But the lights had been a sticking point. Kayleigh wanted to put flashing reindeer and God knows what else in the window. John had insisted that was not happening. He had no intention of putting up something he couldn't even see when he was inside, and that would absolutely just be a flashing target for kids to chuck stones at and smash his windows. Kayleigh had gone on about the snowmen and Santa and flashing lights she’d had up at her house. And in a fit of irritation John had snapped, “Well it’s not your house, it's mine, and I'm not paying NPower half my wages to entertain the rest of the bloody street!” 

There had been some resulting unpleasant back and forth, and then a stony silence while he ate his weight in Dominos and Kayleigh watched Strictly. Once the carb coma began to set in, he’d looked at Kayleigh curled up on the easy chair, phone in hand - dividing her attention between the TV and the phone screen, likely furiously texting back and forth with Mandy about what an arse he was. Still, at least she hadn't asked him to take her home… yet. 

Home. Suddenly a thought had struck him. If he took Kayleigh home right now, he wasn't taking her home. He was taking her to Mandy's house. She didn't have a home now. She'd lost that less than six months ago. 

He was in fact an arse. 

The Dominos sat in his stomach like a stone and he wanted to take his words back, but Kayleigh wouldn't even meet his eye. 

He'd mumbled something about having a shower and gone upstairs. He wanted to make it right, but there was a part of him still adamant on the principle. He raked around in the small box of decorations he’d left on the landing, found a string of lights and gone into the bedroom. Well, at least kids weren't as likely to chuck stones at the upstairs window.

After jumping in the shower and putting on his comfies, he’d returned to the living room. Kayleigh gave him a quick glance but didn't say a word. He’d gone into the kitchen, made a brew, put it down in front of her and still there was silence. While he’d sipped his own tea, Kayleigh had left the room and went upstairs for God knows what. A few minutes later she’d returned.

“You alright?” he’d finally said, trying to sound casual. 

She’d nodded silently but this time was at least looking at him. She went over to the chair, picked up her brew and a cushion, then walked over to the sofa. She put her brew on the coffee table, put the pillow on John's lap, and lay down with her head on his knee.

“I'm sorry,” he’d said, rubbing her arm.

“Thank you,” she’d replied and grinned up at him while she brought her other hand up and linked her fingers through his. 

It was a fight that had made John see a few things differently.

John got out of the car and went to the boot to pull out Kayleigh's overnight bag. He looked up at the lights around his bedroom window and smiled to himself. He’d made the right decision. 

“Don't look in the gift bags!” Kayleigh exclaimed as she made her way to the back of the car. 

“I wasn't going to. Christ, these aren't all for me are they? I haven't spent a fortune on you, you know?” he said as he passed the two overflowing gift bags to her. Although he knew, in all likelihood, he had compared to her. He knew how much she earned.

“Wow John, try not to oversell this Christmas to me...” The sarcasm dripped from Kayleigh as she took the bags on to her hip. “And I've not spent a fortune on you, couldn't even if I wanted to! I just shop smart, that's all.”

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” John pulled the bag-for-life full of food from the back seat and led the way into his house. “Right, I'll just get changed and then I'll get the tea on.” 

John dumped the bag in the kitchen and unpacked the mix of ready meals and party food that had been ridiculously reduced just before the store closed. Full Chinese banquet for under a pound appealed to him in more ways than one. 

He was just turning the oven on when he heard Kayleigh calling him from the living room.

“What was that? Couldn't hear you…” 

He walked into the living room to see Kayleigh standing there with her arms outstretched, holding a largish gold box.

“What's that?” he continued.

“Open it.”

“We're not doing presents until the morning, have some bloody patience, woman!”

“It's not a present... Well, it is… just open it!” She thrust the box at him. 

John sighed. “Alright… alright… Jesus Christ…”

He opened the box and saw a piece of printed paper inside the lid, decorated with a cartoon Santa holding a sack, which said “John's Christmas Eve Box”.

“What's this?” John lifted the tissue paper that covered the box's contents. 

“Our Mandy does them for the kids… It's a Christmas Eve Box… everything you need…” She came to his side and started rifling through the box herself. “See? There's hot chocolate with marshmallow…” She picked out a Santa mug that was stuffed with a sachet of chocolate and sweets. “Candy canes… socks… The kids ones have like activity books and stuff to keep them busy… I didn't bother putting that in for you…”

John looked at her in utter bemusement. “Yeah, thanks for that…” he said.

“But look… pyjamas!” She took the box from him entirely, obviously not happy with his speed at exploring it and handed him the top.

John held it up against himself. Looking down he saw it featured a picture of the Grinch with the slogan “Merry Whatever”. Kayleigh giggled as John read it and gave her a look. 

“Do you like them? I know you don't wear pjs to bed but I thought you could wear them when we're watching TV.” She pulled the matching green and white striped bottoms from the box and held them up, nodding encouragingly.

John gave in to the chuckle that was rising, quashing his cynicism and enjoying Kayleigh's excitement. She literally was like a kid at Christmas. “Yeah, yeah, very good…”

“And there's this…” She raked in the box throwing aside a bag of chocolate coins. “See you're meant to put a Christmas film in… to watch on Christmas eve so I-”

“It better not bloody be Love Actually!” John interrupted.

“No, John, it's not Love Actually,” Kayleigh said with tested patience. “Here…”

John took the DVD from her and turned it over. His face lit up. “Die Hard!”

Kayleigh looked proud as punch. “You said you lost your copy…”

“Lent it to Our Paul and never saw it again, useless bastard…”

“... and that it’s your favourite Christmas film. We can watch it while we eat if you like.”

John looked at her skeptically. “Do you want to? I didn’t think you were mad keen on it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t mind…”

The memory of the decorations argument rolled around John’s mind. “Nah, it’s fine, I can watch it on me own another time.”

“Honestly, John, I don’t mind. It’s your favourite…”

“Nah, nah… we’ll watch summit else,” John pressed on. “You’d just ruin it anyway, constantly asking why Bruce Willis wasn’t wearing shoes or something…”

Kayleigh giggled. “If you’re sure…”

“Aye… but thanks.” He leant forward and gave her a kiss. “And thanks for all this…”

Obviously delighted with his response, Kayleigh gave a little squeal of happiness. “You’re welcome. And I made myself a box too, look…”

She handed John his box and pulled another from the bag. Opening it, she held up the sheet of paper she'd put inside that declared Kayleigh's Christmas Eve Box. Only she would go to that much effort to surprise herself. 

“I've got hot chocolate too, and slipper socks things, and… oh smell this…” She pulled out a bottle of bubble bath and flipped the lid under John's nose. His head shot back involuntarily with the shock of sweet fragrance.

“Christ, that could rot your teeth…”

“It's Christmas Cookie - vanilla and sugar and spices…” Kayleigh sniffed it herself before closing the lid.

“Hmm, good enough to eat,” John said, unconvinced.

“I hope so.” Kayleigh raised her eyebrow suggestively. Then after a moment added absently, “I hope it doesn't give me thrush…”

John shook his head and tried not to scoff. “Right, I best get tea on…” 

Kayleigh nodded but didn't look up, still examining the contents of her own box. John tucked his box under his arm, headed back to the kitchen, paused then headed upstairs. 

A few minutes later, kitted out in his Grinch pyjamas he went back into the kitchen and decanted their tea into the oven. When Kayleigh didn't appear he went back into his living room. 

There she was kneeling just in front of the tree, her bag of gifts now unpacked around the foot of the tree, the bag still in her left hand. In her right hand she was holding the Sky remote loosely, and her face was completely fixed on the TV. She was bathed in the glow from the lights on the tree, and John didn't think he'd ever seen a lovelier sight. 

“What you up to?” he said, making her jump.

“John! I didn't hear you come in…” she said, twisting round to look at him. “Aww, I love it. You look so cute!” She grinned as John tugged at the bottom of the t-shirt to model it.

“I look like an Oompa Loompa!” he protested.

“No you don't! Look…” She pointed to the TV. “Love Actually is on.”

“Of course it's on, morning noon and night it's always bloomin’ on. And so is tea. Be ready in about half an hour.”

Kayleigh pushed herself to her feet. “Just time for a bath then, if that's okay?”

“Go for your life…” John collapsed into the easy chair, while Kayleigh grabbed her own Christmas Eve box, planted a kiss on his cheek and dashed out the door. 

John looked up at the TV to see Keira Knightley's face grinning back at him. “Jesus Christ…” he muttered, and automatically put his hand on the arm of the chair for the remote. When his hand came back empty, he looked all around and finally spotted the remote control sitting on the floor across the room, in front of the tree. John sighed. The thought of getting up to retrieve it didn't hugely appeal, so instead he folded his hands on his chest and closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

The next thing John knew his eyes flew open as a snort came from someplace that seemed to be his own mouth. “Shit!” He'd no idea how long he'd been asleep, and leapt to his feet. There was no sign of Kayleigh, but the smells coming from the kitchen told him he'd been asleep for some time. He prayed the food wasn't ruined, and was relieved to see he'd woken in the knick of time. Maybe that was a skill he'd inherited from his dad. He'd always been able to decide ahead of time how long he'd nap for and wake up at just the right time. He swore he'd never used an alarm clock his entire life. John certainly couldn't make that claim.

“Ooh that smells gorgeous!” Kayleigh walked into the kitchen, freshly bathed and wearing her own Christmas pyjamas, her hair piled messily atop her head. She held her arms out and modelled the red nightshirt which declared “Santa, I can explain…” and the matching red and white striped leggings. “What do you reckon?”

John gave her a nod. “Festive.”

“It's not exactly sexy though, is it?” She gave a laugh as she did a little twirl. 

“Well, it's not a PVC catsuit, no… but then…” He held out his arms, one hand in a pair of oven gloves, the other holding one of the oven trays of food. “I can hardly talk.”

“You look like my handsome Christmas love,” Kayleigh said, crossing the kitchen and dipping under his arm of hot food to give him a squeeze.

“Hmm…” John said, unconvinced. “Mind yourself…” John untangled himself from her and tipped the hot food onto plates. He always got uncomfortable when she complimented him. Somehow it served as a reminder that he was way out of his league with her. He was pretty sure that was how others saw them anyway. 

“Did you put the wine in the fridge?” Kayleigh asked, opening the fridge and finding out for herself before he could answer.

“Aye… get out the Shloer for me while you're there…”

Kayleigh pulled out the two bottles and looked at the Shloer. “Shloer?!” She sounded though he'd said he was going to be drinking piss.

“Oh yeah, you can't have Christmas without Shloer. Me and Our Paul always had it for Christmas. Mum and Dad had wine, we had Shloer… eventually Our Paul moved on to wine but I never got the taste for it…” 

Kayleigh tucked the bottles under her arm and got two glasses from the cupboard. “I certainly did…”

“I'm aware of that… so are me bin men.”

Kayleigh ignored his comment and left the room with the drinks. John followed with a couple of plates of food. He entered the living room to see Kayleigh sitting on the sofa, opening the bottle of wine in her lap, her eyes glued to the TV.

“What a load of shite,” John said as he took in the scene currently gracing the screen. “As if a bunch of hot young things like them would be all over some gormless bloke just because he's from England!” 

Kayleigh tsked. “Accents can be very sexy, John… look at Sean Connery!” 

“The bloke from My Family is hardly Sean Connery though is he?!” He pointed to the TV and waited for a response but Kayleigh was engrossed again, chuckling away at the film.

John muttered to himself as he went back into the kitchen for the rest of the food and some cutlery. Maybe he'd seen Love Actually when he was a low point in his own emotional life or something, because he could never understand why it was seen as such a romantic film. It was full of misery.

As if proving his point, when he walked back into the living room, Kayleigh was waving her hands. “Can we just leave this bit on? It's so sad…”

John sat down next to Kayleigh and looked to see Emma Thompson picking a gift out from under the tree. He may not be a fan of the film but he had to admit that heer scenes were a powerhouse of a performance.

“If you must…” he said, but Kayleigh's attention was already entirely lost to the film again. 

As Emma Thompson's face fell at her disappointing gift, he heard a little whimper come out of Kayleigh's mouth. Then a moment later she shouted “SLUT” as Alan Rickman's bit on the side was shown getting out of bed and putting on the pivotal necklace.

When the scene cut back to Emma Thompson's bedroom, John found himself subconsciously reaching for Kayleigh's hand. It was a moving scene no matter what, but now he had a new, deeper understanding of love, the idea of being betrayed by that person was a much clearer horror in his mind. 

He heard Kayleigh sniffle as the scene progressed and a lump caught in his own throat, though he managed to keep it at bay. When the scene changed, Kayleigh wiped at her face with her other hand and turned to him.

“It's just so sad… her heart is breaking and she has to just carry on…” She gave a juddery hiccup. “And he's an arsehole!” Her voice went from shaky to strident. “Throwing all that away for a shag with a girl that isn't even that pretty…” Kayleigh wagged a finger in John's face. “You better never do that to me, or I'd-”

“Sew prawns into the hem of me curtains and clean the lav with my toothbrush?”

“I'd think of something worse!” she warned sternly.

“I never would.” He leaned forward and kissed her tear soaked lips.

“I know you wouldn't…” Kayleigh rested her head on his shoulder, her voice returning to normal tones.

John watched the TV for a moment, without taking anything in. “Besides,” he said, “You'll be the one getting necklaces…”

Kayleigh lifted her head to look at him. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, just that-”

“Are you saying I'm a slut?” Kayleigh drew herself back from him and sat up straight.

“Jesus Christ, no! I just meant you're the one who'd be getting necklaces, cos your the kind of woman that would tempt men away from their wives…” Even as he said it, John knew that wasn't what he should have said, or what he meant. Her face told him he was right.

“John Redmond, if you think I'm the type of woman who goes around trying to steal other women's-”

“No! That's not what I meant…”

Kayleigh looked at him with a face like granite, obviously waiting for him to dig his way out if this.

“I just meant, you're so gorgeous you COULD tempt men away from their wives, if you wanted to, which you don't…” he continued.

“I'd rather look like Emma Thompson than that bint with her open legs, willing to do anything for a bit of jewellery. How dare you…” she raged as John leaned back away from the fire she was shooting his way.

“I meant it as a compliment!” he pleaded, his head now in his hands. How could he go from bliss to this in about thirty seconds? It truly was a talent.

“Huh!” Kayleigh tutted and turned her body away from him.

John sighed and counted to ten then tried again. “I just meant,” he said more softly and calmly, “That you are so beautiful and sexy and amazing, men would be trying to win you over, not cheat on you. And you could have your pick of men… That's all.”

He sensed Kayleigh sag a little. “Yeah well, plenty of men managed to force themselves to cheat on me before now…” She turned half-way back towards him. “And I wasn't exactly beating them off with a stick before we got together either, was I?”

John took a breath. Sometimes it was easy for him to forget Kayleigh had been hurt too. She was so emotionally open, so ready for a relationship and to fling herself headfirst into it from the word go - it was easy forget she'd gone through pain like he had. Probably more so. She just hadn't allowed herself to be shaped by it, or burnt by it. Once bitten, twice shy was not a phrase that was in Kayleigh's vocabulary. John admired it so much, but he shouldn't let it blind him to the scars she carried in her heart.

She met his eyes, and instead of fire he saw only warmth again. 

“If It's true I could have my pick of men, I already picked, and I picked you.”

It was her turn to close the gap and meet his lips in a lingering kiss. 

“I'm glad you did…” he muttered as she pulled away. “Get this food in you before it gets cold…” 

He picked up one of the plates of food and held it out to her. Kayleigh made an “ooh” face before nabbing a spring roll and chomping into it with gusto. 

As John dished himself some rice and blackbean chicken from one of the foil containers, he pointed to the TV with his spoon. “Come on then, what we going to watch? I never agreed to watch the rest of this…” 

“Let's look…” Kayleigh mumbled around her mouthful of food. “I already watched Love Actually on Monday with Mandy anyway… so-”

“And you still cried?!” 

Kayleigh looked at him like he was mad. “Obviously!”

After a few one sided suggestions chosen from the Sky Planner, Kayleigh finally landed on a film that seemed to tick sufficient boxes.

“You've never seen The Holiday?” Kayleigh asked incredulously, with a plate of food now nestled in her lap. 

John gave a shrug as he gnawed on a rib. “Don't think so, which one is it? Is it one of those Channel 5 ones where some New York lawyer goes back to her hometown and falls in love with a widowed blacksmith?” John snorted derisively. His nana seemed to constantly be watching those films in the three months leading up to Christmas, then giving him blow by blow of the repetitive plot every time he saw her.

“No! It's Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet-”

John's ear pricked up at that name. Cameron Diaz was too much like a stick of half-chewed rhubarb, but Kate Winslet was right up his street.

“They swap homes for Christmas,” Kayleigh continued, waving the Sky remote around as her enthusiasm mounted. “And they are both single, looking for love…”

“Let me guess and they both miraculously find it just in time for Christmas morning?”

Kayleigh gave him a look. “Well, yes, but there's more to it than that…”

John looked unconvinced.

“And Jude Law and Jack Black are in it…” Kayleigh pressed on.

“Oh yeah I like him…”

Kayleigh latched onto his positive common immediately. “Me too! I loved School of Rock… so funny! I cried at that too… He's in this a lot…”

She was trying hard to convince him, but honestly, John had been happy to go with it when he heard the words Kate Winslet. And this year, for once, a nice romantic film seemed just the ticket for Christmas eve.

The next couple of hours, John had to admit, were total bliss. It wasn’t exactly the best film he'd ever seen, but it was decent enough. But it was what was going on inside his own house that made him happy. Despite the fact Kayleigh couldn't sit still for five minutes, just sitting snuggled on the sofa was the best times he had with her. Sometimes if he thought about it too much, it terrified him. It was scary how easily she fitted into his life like she'd always been there, and thus how much the idea of her not being there destroyed him. He hadn't been ready to fall this hard, this fast. But at the same time, there was a strange calm in him he hadn't felt for a long time, like some question that had been bothering his mind for years was finally answered.

It was a constant battle between his head and heart. His heart knew this was it, everything he ever wanted and needed, and to just let go. His head was still clinging to fear and wariness, and was trying to tell him to hold back because Kayleigh could see sense and bugger off. It was a tough fight, although it had to be said the lower half of his body was very much on board with his heart, and they were making a very convincing case.

“So did you like it?” Kayleigh asked as they carried the dishes through to the kitchen.

John gave a shrug. “It was alright… I said there'd be a widower, didn't I?” 

Kayleigh gave a tut and placed the plates down on the kitchen table. “Do you want this last won ton? Or can I have it?”

“Go for your life,” John said. 

Kayleigh bit the won ton in half with gusto, eliciting a grin from John.

“Always knew you were a wanton woman,” he said, raising his eyebrows to signpost the joke. However, the instant change on Kayleigh's face told him it had fallen flat.

Her brow furrowed as she chewed vigorously. “You saying I'm fat?! I don't weigh one ton!” 

“What?! NO! It's a pun… wanton.. won ton… get it?” 

Kayleigh still looked furious and confused for a moment, then her brow evened out and she broke into a smile. “God John, you're so easy to wind up…” 

John just shook his head. Half the time he didn't know of he was coming or going with her. By rights he should hate it. He was a man who loved routine and stability and no surprises. Yet every minute with Kayleigh made his body fizz and tumble and he couldn't get enough. 

Kayleigh began scraping the remnants of their banquet into the bin as John filled sink.

“So, do you fancy Kate Winslet then?” She asked as she handed John the dirty dishes.

“Oh yeah, she's lovely… always liked her.”

“Hmm…” Kayleigh looked at him thoughtfully while he began washing up, and casually leaned on the counter top. “Did you like her best in Titanic?”

John shrugged. “Not especially… loved her in Sense and Sensibility, she was gorgeous in that.”

Kayleigh wrinkled her nose. 

“Funnily enough, Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant are in that too… And Alan Rickman!”

Kayleigh seemed to ignore his fascinating fact and leaned further over. “So not in Titanic then, hmm?”

What in hell's name was she going on about now? John looked at her blankly. “No… why?”

Kayleigh pulled a tendril of hair down from her top knot and twisted it round her finger. “Just wondering…”

Finally the penny dropped. “Ah, I see… cos she's a redhead in it…” The way she fished for compliments never failed to amuse him. If he thought about it hard enough, it probably meant he wasn't dishing them out enough… but he enjoyed eeking out the little games they played like this. “Nah, not especially…”

Kayleigh pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, just as John knew she would.

“Redheads have never really done it for me, to be honest,” John continued, baiting the line a bit more. “Well, except for one…” He kept his eyes on the sink but could feel Kayleigh leaning in. “Lulu!” 

Instantly Kayleigh whacked him in the arm as he chuckled at his own play. 

“I'm kidding… I'm kidding… there's only one redhead who drives me insane…” He tilted towards her and planted a kiss on her forehead. “In more ways than one…”

Kayleigh sighed and refused to bite on that one, instead picking up a tea towel and beginning to dry the dishes as John put them in the rack. 

“So would Kate Winslet be in your laminated list then?”

And once again John was back in the bewildering Kayleigh's world conversation. “You what?”

“Laminated list. You know, from Friends? The list of five celebrities you and your other half agree that if you met them you'd be allowed to sleep with them.”

John laughed loudly at the very notion. “I don’t think Kate Winslet shops for her bread in Bolton!”

“Yeah but just pretend… who'd be on your list?”

“No idea… I'd have to think about it-”

“I know who's on mine…”

“Of course you do…” John waited the no doubt nanosecond that would pass before she spilled.

“Well Zac Effron would be number one.”

John smiled to himself at how well he knew her.

“Idris Elba. Channing Tatum. George Clooney...obviously.”

“Obviously,” John agreed.

“And the fifth one keeps changing… it used to be Johnny Depp but I've gone right off him now he's a dickhead!” Kayleigh paused for a moment and stared into space as she gave the subject serious consideration. “You know, i'm tempted to put Jack Black after watching that.”

John scoffed at that pronouncement louder than he intended.

“What?” Kayleigh asked as she stood with her hand out waiting for him to hand her a sudsy plate. 

“You don't fancy Jack Black!”

“Yes, I do! How do you know I don't?”

“Cos every other bloke you fancy is all ripped beefcake type. You're just saying you fancy Jack Black cos of me!” He hadn't quite intended that last part to slip out either, but at least his voice still held the amusement he felt, and didn't give away the deeper, bubbling insecurity.

“Why? Do you fancy him?” Kayleigh replied, deliberately misunderstanding and smiling.

“Ha ha. No, you know what I mean. You're saying that cos you think you have to show that you fancy fat blokes.”

“Rubbish!” Kayleigh put the plate down and put her hands on her hips in indignation. “You didn't say you fancied Rose in Titanic just to make me think you liked redheads!”

She had a point there. But still…

“Well, go on then, name another fat bloke you actually do fancy!” 

“Well…” Kayleigh paused only a moment, to her credit. “James Corden! He's so funny on Carpool Karaoke.”

John was fully down this path and he refused to budge off it, beside his own mind reciting the words “can.of.worms.” to him. “You think he's funny. You don't fancy him!”

“Will you stop telling me who I fancy?!... Oh! I know! Him from the Full Monty!”

“Robert Carlyle?” John offered sarcastically. 

“No, he's in Game of Thrones too… what's his name? He was the one that wrapped cling film round his belly and ate a Mars bar?”

“In Game of Thrones?” 

“NO! In The Full Monty!... John Thompson! That's it.”

John shook his head and laughed as he drained the water from the sink. She was one on her own was this girl of his. Yet he couldn't resist teasing her further. “It's Mark Addy. John Thompson’s in Cold Feet. And that's fatist!” He pointed a dripping wet finger at her, then grabbed the tea towel from her to dry his own hands. 

“What?!” 

“Fatist. Thinking all tubbies look alike, shame on you!” He pointed a dryer finger at her, as he fought a smile.

“I am not, that's-” Her voice had raised about two octaves with indignation before she caught his look and stopped mid sentence. “Shut up!” she laughed, as John plonked himself down on one of the kitchen chairs facing her.

He dried his hands thoroughly as Kayleigh picked up the dry plates and put them away in the cupboard. 

“I should accidentally on purpose drop these for that,” she warned before safely tucking them away. “Anyway, I DO fancy Jack Black, but especially in The Holiday. “

She walked across and sat on John's knee. “He's sweet, and thoughtful, and funny and a musician who writes beautiful music…” She leaned back and looked in John's face. “Why wouldn't I fancy him?”

John’s ego took the hint, and he smiled warmly back, wrapping his arms around her hips. “Fair enough.”

“I've always liked “well-covered men” as my nana described it,” Kayleigh said contemplatively.

“Could have fooled me, with your taste in trolley boys! You haven’t been wolf whistling at me of a morning the past few years.” 

“Oh that's just hormones.” Kayleigh waved a hand dismissively. “I would have been eyeing you up all this time but I thought you were gay, remember?”

John would rather forget. Thankfully since word had spread about him and Kayleigh - from Kayleigh's own lips, he suspected - the gay rumours had finally died down. Although there were still some boys in the warehouse he was sure had bets on him coming out.

“Besides… I worked at our place almost seven years… and you never showed any interest in me,” Kayleigh said.

If only she knew. He'd fancied her the first day he'd seen her in the canteen. “That new annoying promotions girl” Dave had called her. But it hadn't gone much beyond an admiring glance, for a myriad of reasons.

“Well, I had a girlfriend for a lot of that time, didn't I?” John decided to stick with the safest explanation, and avoided going back into the insecurity minefield of believing she was out of his league. It seemed churlish given she was sitting on his lap, in his kitchen.

He felt Kayleigh stiffen at the mention of “girlfriend”. 

“Fiance,” she corrected, the disdain dripping from her voice.

“That too.” John ignored going down THAT path too. “But that doesn't mean I didn't notice the sexy redhead in promotions…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Kayleigh dismissed, and turned her head to look the other way.

“At the staff pancake race day that first year you worked here, you wore white plimsoles, cropped jeans, and a navy and white striped t-shirt,” John pronounced, and was delighted when Kayleigh cocked her head back towards him.

“How do you remember that? I'm not convinced if I covered your eyes right NOW you'd be able to tell me what I'm wearing. You don't take notice of my clothes!”

John tried to shrug casually, though the pride was beaming from him. “Burned into my memory. It made you look French… and sexy.”

“Did it?” she squeaked.

John nodded as Kayleigh wiggled in satisfaction. 

“And here we are, six short years later...” he laughed.

“Our first Christmas together!” Kayleigh squealed and hugged her arms around his neck.

He'd lost track of how many times she'd said that in the past few weeks, but it certainly didn't grate. He loved her enthusiasm, and even more so, how the phrase spoke of faith in a future for them. Every time his fear and insecurity slowed him down and held him back, her total faith would drag him on, and he was more grateful for that than he could ever say.

“So, little girl,” he said, lowering his voice to what he hoped was a Santa-esque boom, “What would you like for Christ-” He stopped abruptly and pulled a face. “Oh no, that isn't working, is it?”

Kayleigh's scrunched up lips told him she agreed.

“That was a bit creepy…it all went a bit Yewtree-ish, there… forget I said that,” John said and gave a little shudder. 

“You don't need to ask anyway, I'm sure you’ve got me all i want for Christmas anyway.” Kayleigh said, stroking a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, well, I've kept all the receipts just in case. I know what you women are like.”

“That's not what I mean… I've got everything I want already.” 

“Oh in that case, I will take it all back, get a refund if you don't want it…” Deliberately misunderstanding her was his thing, his joke, but he knew far too often he did it because he didn't know how else to take her compliments.

“Joooohn…” She dragged the word out and rolled her head in exasperation. 

In response, John brought his hands up onto her waist and squeezed her closer to him. “My list has been ticked off too,” he said and threw in a tickle at her sides.

When she stopped giggling, Kayleigh took on a contemplative look. “You know, there is one present I don't think I can wait until morning to unwrap…”

“God, you've no patience! I've told you, you've got to wait…” Only after the words had left John's mouth, and he became aware of Kayleigh's hand stroking up and down the back of his neck, and running round the ring of his collar, did he get the nuance. “Oh right…”

Kayleigh flashed an eyebrow at his perception. 

“Hmm, I know what you mean…” John said as he removed his hand from her waist and stroked it down her thigh. “I suppose there's no harm in opening one present…”

Kayleigh’s face went from coy and seductive to a wide grin. “Now?”

In answer, John stood up and took Kayleigh by the hand, tugging her gently towards the door.

“Just remember,” Kayleigh said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, “unwrap your present slowly!”

“I'll do me best, but can't make any promises!”


	3. Chapter 3

Some time later, as John lay in bed trying to catch his breath, Kayleigh dashed back in from the bathroom.

“God, it's freezing,” she said, tugging her nightshirt down her bare legs, before hopping back into bed. 

“The heating’s gone off, want me to put it back on?” 

“No, it's fine… I've got my very own hot water bottle.” She put her hands on John's naked stomach and nearly sent him through the roof. 

“Is that revenge for the car earlier?” he asked as he got used to the chill and let her cuddle herself up against him to leech his warmth.

“Maybe… I'm telling you John, it's so cold, it's going to snow.”

John had to admire her persistence. “No, it's not…”

“How do you know?” she said, hooking her leg over his in a way that was giving John very pleasant flashbacks from fifteen minutes earlier.

“Cos it's a clear night. There's no clouds. You need clouds for snow. And they didn't forecast any snow on the weather earlier.”

Kayleigh let out a dismissive hiss. “What do they know?”

“The weather! It's their job.”

“It's just guessing! I could do it!”

John shut his eyes in amused despair. “No you couldn't! It's a science, you lunatic!”

Kayleigh pfft again. “I bet you we get a white Christmas,” she said haughtily. 

“What do you bet?” John pulled his head back so he could look at her, as she considered the notion seriously.

“Two foot rubs and a cooked breakfast.”

“Oh right, and what if I win?” John chuckled.

“Two foot rubs and a bought breakfast.”

“Hmm… deal.” John closed the gap and sealed the bet with a kiss. It wasn't the traditional method but his hands were too busy enjoying being wrapped around her for a handshake.

They lay in silence, enjoying the moment and the afterglow for a few moments before Kayleigh spoke again. “Can I open the blinds?”

John opened his eyes and stared at her. “Why? It's not morning, we weren't at it that long!”

“I know,” Kayleigh giggled. “I just want to see the lights you put up for me. I want to look at them while I sleep.”

Several thoughts ran through John's mind at that statement, the overriding one being “looking at lights while you sleep is a physical impossibility” but he chose to ignore that one, given the conversation moments earlier. Secondly was the flood of guilt he still held over that argument and the way he's snapped at her. It was weeks ago now but he was sure she hadn't forgotten. In fact he suspected she secretly had a ledger of all his fuck ups that one day she'd bring out as evidence for why she was leaving him. But he ignored all that, and went with his third thought. “I thought you needed pitch black to sleep?”

“I do! But it's Christmas, John!” 

He did love that in her mind somehow those two words explained everything from her going off her diet to her expectation that parking fees should be wavered.

“Well, if you want…”

Kayleigh sprang from the bed and pulled the blinds back, exposing the multicoloured fairy lights taped inside the window frame. Beyond, a streetlight cast an orange glow onto Kayleigh and everything in the room. And beyond that still was the night sky, clear and bright with stars.

“See? No clouds!” John pointed out as Kayleigh got back into bed and spooned against his front.

“Shhh, you're spoiling it,” she whispered.

John sighed and nuzzled his face against her neck. Her skin still smelled faintly of the cookie concoction from her bath earlier. 

“We still haven’t thought of a Christmas song,” Kayleigh complained.

“Hmm, neither we have… my mind was on other things,” John whispered into her ear.

“I can't wait to spend Christmas morning with you,” Kayleigh said after a moment, as she lay looking at the lights.

“Me too. I wish it was all day though…”

“Do you?!” Kayleigh's squeaked, twisting in John's arms to try and look at his face.

“Yeah…” He smiled. It was true. And admitting it came surprisingly easy. Lying here with her, it was all the gift he ever needed. He couldn't imagine a happier place. He couldn't have dreamed he'd feel like this, and he certainly hadn't even dared to dream it just three months ago. It was all too terrifying and unlikely a prospect. 

At that point he'd accepted what he felt for her, and he'd started to suspect she felt something for him, but he’d convinced himself it was transient. No way would her feelings last, no way would his, and they certainly couldn't explore the notion together.

Yet here they were. His feelings had only grown and blossomed with every passing day, and the notion that this was lasting, this was real, was taking further root every moment he spent with her. 

He was looking forward to cementing that even more tomorrow. In several ways.

“But it would have meant you spending your day driving all over the county…” Kayleigh admitted, fully turning back round to face him.

“Not if we told them all to fuck off, shut the door and just spent the door here, you and me.”

Kayleigh’s eyes grew wide at John's passion. “You'd really like to do that?”

“Ideally.”

“Aww,” Kayleigh's expression relaxed into a tender look. “But that would be dead selfish of us, Christmas is for families, John.”

“Since when did you become the sensible, responsible one?” 

Kayleigh shrugged. “Maybe you're rubbing off on me…”

John raised his eyebrows at the innuendo and they both chuckled. 

“It'll be lovely, even if it is short… sitting in front of the lights in our pjs, opening pressies and eating-”

“Woah, woah, woah!” John interrupted Kayleigh midflow. “There'll be no pyjamas!” 

“What?!” Kayleigh looked up at him, utterly baffled.

“No, no, in the Redmond household you get dressed before you're allowed to touch any presents.”

“Seriously?!” 

John nodded ruefully. “Absolutely. Christmas morning Mum and Dad would get up, then Mum would get me and our Paul up, we'd wash and spit and polish, put on our Sunday best then wait for Dad to call us downstairs. THEN we could open our presents.”

Kayleigh looked horrified. “Oh my God! Not us! We’d all run downstairs as early as possible and rip open our presents… sometimes we'd still be in our pyjamas by the Queen's speech.”

“Nope, not happening. Besides knowing you, if you sat opening presents, you'd fanny about and we’d run late, and I’d end up taking you to your mum's in your pyjamas!”

“You're probably right…” Kayleigh laughed at herself. “Okay, we'll get dressed first…” She paused for a moment and brought her hand up to flatten his ruffled hair, suddenly seeming slightly awkward. “You know the first few times I spent the night here, I got up early and went and put my makeup back on before you woke up.”

“Why?!” 

“Cos I didn't want you seeing what I really looked like in the mornings! I thought you might not fancy me anymore.”

John was flabbergasted. The idea of no longer finding her attractive was as foreign to him as being on the moon. “Daft! As if I'd care…” He scrutinised her for a moment. “You're not still doing it are you?”

“Oh God no. I’ve no makeup on now.”

“Good…” John rubbed a hand up and down her arm comfortingly.

“I gave up that time after we went out for Jim's birthday… I was too hungover to even think about it.”

“Ha tell us about it!” John remembered the midnight puking and the morning breath very vividly.

“I was nervous, John!” Kayleigh declared. “It was my first time meeting your friends… so I may have drunk a little too much.” She tucked her head down under his chin so he could no longer look at her face.

“A little? About three litres of chardonnay too much…”

“Shhh, you're spoiling it…” she repeated. 

John giggled and put his fingers under her chin to pull her head back up. “Well i'm glad i get to see the real you… I like the real you very much…” He tipped her chin towards him and met her in a kiss. “Goodnight.”

“Merry Christmas, John,” Kayleigh whispered as the kiss ended.

“Merry Christmas, Yoko.”

“Eh?” Kayleigh pulled her head back in confusion. 

“Never mind…” Huh, calls herself a Christmas expert, indeed, he thought, but he said, “Merry Christmas, Kayleigh.”

She turned over in his arms to once again face the window and the lights. After a few moments John had a thought.

“What about The Darkness, Don’t Let the Bells End for our song?”

“No,” came the flat reply.

The last thing John heard as he drifted off was Kayleigh murmuring, “I love Christmas…”

 

It took about a millionth of a second after John's alarm went off for Kayleigh to spring out of bed and look out the window.

“It's a white Christmas! John! Wake up, I win! It's a white Christmas!” she practically screamed, jumping up and down slightly, her hands on the window ledge.

“Is it buggery…” John stretched and tried to get him eyes to open fully. The room was certainly bright for 8.30 on a Christmas morning, but no way had it been snowing.

Eventually he threw back the duvet and shuffled over to the window to join her. The ground was a crisp white and the air clear and fresh. 

“It's frost! It's not snow!” 

“So?! It's still white!”

John shook his head and stumbled back to bed. “Nope, not having that. That's not a white Christmas.”

“We never agreed it had to snow!” Kayleigh came back to bed and kneeled beside him, while he lay prostrate.

“That was the whole bloody point of the bet. You've not won. It's not a white Christmas.”

Kayleigh reached for her phone on the bedside table then dashed to the window again. “I'm going to send a photo to our Mandy. I wonder if she's got a white Christmas too?”

John scoffed. “She's only in Bury, it's hardly the Bahamas. And it's not a white Christmas.” 

“It is! Is the ground white, John?”

“Yes, but-”

“Then It's a white Christmas and I win.”

She returned to the bed and bounced it with her knees, stirring John from his comfort. He gave a weary sigh. “We'll call it a draw, cos I was right it didn't snow.”

Kayleigh leaned her head to the side and looked at him. “Hmm, what about the prize?”

“One footrub each, and I'll make you some toast.”

“Deal!” Kayleigh threw herself down in the bed alongside him and kissed his cheek. 

John rolled onto his side to look at her properly, now he was fully awake. A little thrill bubbled inside him as he thought about the gifts waiting for her under the tree. It wasn't the only thing waiting for her.

“You know, there's another way we could call it a draw…” He pulled her closer to him and gave her a look that he hoped would convey his message. Thankfully, for once, Kayleigh was quick on the draw.

“John Redmond! Twice in twelve hours?!”

“Just call me Don Juan.. or Don Twice.”

“And Christmas morning, too?! What would Jesus say?” She coquettishly ran a finger down his arm.

“He'd say, fill your boots, it's me birthday!”

Kayleigh giggled and answered the unasked question by embracing John and rolling him onto his back.

 

John sang in the shower. He couldn't help it. Every song that came on his bathroom radio just added to his total unbridled joy. He'd not had sex on Christmas morning in, well… ever. And he had to say, he recommended it. It was better than any fry-up to set you up for the day, and with the sun blazing in through the frosted frosty window, it felt like the world was finally turning his way. 

Of course tomorrow morning there'd be no Kayleigh in his bed, or even in his car, as he returned to the drudgery of work but that just made him all the more determined to enjoy what they had. And to make sure it happened again…

When he returned to the bedroom Kayleigh was sitting on the floor in front of his full length mirror, wrapped in a towel and blow drying her hair. 

“I promise I didn't sneak down and open my pressies while you were in the shower,” she shouted over the noise of the drier.

“Good!” 

“But it's really testing my patience… I hope they are worth it!” 

“I hope so too…” John dropped a kiss on the top of her head and sat down on the edge of the bed. By the time he'd dried and dressed in a wine long-sleeved shirt and his best black kecks, Kayleigh was doing her makeup, still wearing nothing but a towel

“I'll go and make a brew,” John said before putting the bedside radio on. Immediately Kayleigh began singing along to The Waitresses Merry Christmas, only slightly disrupting her makeup application.

As he walked down the stairs he marvelled at Kayleigh's childlike enthusiasm for Christmas her reaction to a “White” Christmas. When he reached the bottom step he stared at the doormat in front of the door and had an idea. 

First things first, he made a mug of tea and some toast for them both, and delivered Kayleigh’s to her upstairs.

“Sorry,” she said as he walked back into the bedroom, “I'm waiting for my straighteners to heat up. They take bloody ages!”

John smiled to himself. “I know, it's fine… no rush.”

He got halfway down stairs, looked back to check she was still in the bedroom, and then dashed down to put his idea into action. Now where had he put his wellies?

Ten minutes passed, he'd set up his plan, finished his tea and toast and was sitting in the kitchen impatiently waiting. After rinsing his cup, he went out into the hallway and shouted up the stairs.

“Are you ever bloody coming down?!’

“Be there in a minute!” he heard her shout over the radio now playing a bit of Bing Crosby.

For a moment the combination of the sound of Bing's voice and the familiarity of the moment sent him hurtling backwards and forwards in time all at once. He thought of his dad, singing along to Bing every Christmas; to him shouting up to John and Paul to come down and open their presents with the same phrase he'd just used. And then, in a flash, he imagined shouting it to his own kids - their own kids - and a warmth trickled down his spine. 

He ducked back into the kitchen and took a breath. These moments when life seemed to be running away with him still gave him an unreasonable fear. Once he'd come back to earth the negative voice would kick in and kick him in the nuts; telling him life isn't as simple as that, your life isn't going to be that dream. But still the warmth remained, and that voice was getting shushed more and more.

He heard Kayleigh's steps coming down the stairs, then heard her stop and finally shout for him in an amused tone.

“What?” he said, a picture of innocence as he poked his head out the door and saw Kayleigh standing a couple of steps from the bottom of the stairs, her shoes in hand, pointing at the door. 

“Did you do this?” she smiled.

“Do what?” He was determined to keep up the charade of innocence as long as possible.

“This! Santa!”

“What about him?” John walked into the hallway and looked where Kayleigh was pointing, pretending to examine the scene thoroughly. “Well, will you look at that…” 

He thought he'd done a fairly convincing job. Tramping his wellies into the back garden, then smashing some extra frost from the freezer onto them had done a pretty convincing job of Santa's footprints on the door mat. And the swirl of milk in a glass and half eaten carrot added the perfect touch to suggest Father Christmas had played them a visit.

“I guess Santa visited while we were otherwise occupied…” he said, scratching his head. 

Kayleigh giggled. “John! You are so funny. We didn't even leave out a glass of milk!”

“Oh he must have helped himself, then. Cheeky bugger…”

Kayleigh giggled again. “Oh John, I love it!” She hopped down and rushed to crush him in a hug. “Thank you, you are just the sweetest…” 

“I don't know what you're talking about…” he deadpanned, then chuckled as Kayleigh kissed his face.

“I need to take a photo of this!” Kayleigh ran back up the stairs, returned with her phone and took a photo of the Christmas crime scene. “I'm going to send it to Mandy, not that Chloe and Alfie believe anymore…”

“Do they not?” John leaned on the banister while Kayleigh composed her text.

“Nah, they stopped when Chloe found their presents in a suitcase in the hall cupboard. She said she was looking for her swimming stuff…”

“Ben and Sophie still believe.” 

“Do they?” Kayleigh asked, sounding surprised though Ben and Sophie were younger than her own niece and nephew. 

“Yeah. In fact, Paul did Elf on the Shelf for them the past couple of years-”

“Our Mandy tried that, but she just kept finding the Elf in rude positions with Chloe's Barbies. She doesn't know if it was Alfie or Steve…”

John shook his head and tutted. “Anyway, one night Lisa is working, so our Paul was giving Sophie her bath and he leaves Ben downstairs watching cartoons. Next thing Ben is wanting in the bathroom. Paul thinks he's busting for the loo, so let's him in. But he just stands there and makes up some crap about the TV. Paul tells him to go downstairs and he'll be down soon, but Ben won't go. Eventually he gets Sophie out of the bath, and gets to the bottom of it - Ben's terrified of the Elf!”

“No!” Kayleigh gasped. 

“Straight up! He's too scared to be alone with it, in case it comes alive or starts talking to him or some shit!” John gave a chuckle. “Paul had to let him in it was fake and it was for Sophie's benefit, and he'd be a cool big brother if he kept the secret. I'm not sure Ben believed him, though.”

“You should take a picture too,” Kayleigh suggested. “Send it your Paul to show Ben and Sophie, I bet they'd love to know Santa visited their favourite uncle John.”

“They've only got one! But yeah, cracking idea.”


	4. Chapter 4

Photos taken and Santa's mess tidied away, they settled themselves in the living room. Kayleigh kneeled down in front of the tree, then suddenly stood up again.

“By the way, what do you think?” she asked, modelling the black velvet jumpsuit she had on.

“Very nice,” John agreed, as he sat down at the end of the sofa with his second brew of the morning.

“Look, elasticated waist!” She demonstrated it by pulling at the waist and letting it ping back. “So I can eat as much as I like.”

“Oh aye, very good. You going to wear that to Rick and Donna's wedding?”

“I might have to if I eat too much over the next couple of days!” Kayleigh kneeled back down in front of the tree. “Now, FINALLY, can we open our presents?” 

John gave a nod. “Go on then…”

He expected to be buried under a pound of wrapping paper within seconds, but was surprised when Kayleigh suggested they open one each at the same time.

She pulled out a soft, flat parcel for herself and a squarer one for John. Tearing hers open she revealed a pair of black pyjamas, covered in sparkles that declared “Prosecco made me do it.” She laughed as she held them up to read the front.

“Ha, very good. I love them, thank you.”

John opened his parcel and was pleasantly surprised to see the latest Dan Brown book. 

“You don't have it already, do you?”

“No, no, I don't…”

“And he is the one you like?” 

Kayleigh's anxiety over the gift was adorable, and John was delighted to release she did sometimes listen to him. 

“Yeah, he is. Thanks. You should read them, you know, I think you'd like them - they are all about big conspiracies in the world…”

Before he'd even finished talking Kayleigh waved a dismissive hand, “I'll see the films… right, next!”

Next up was a tub of marshmallow sweets for Kayleigh, that declared themselves to be unicorn horns. “It's just something daft,” John explained as Kayleigh stuffed on in her mouth.

“I love them!” she said as she leaned forward and put one in John's mouth. 

John opened his parcel to reveal a bottle of David Beckham eau de toilette for men. His face obviously wasn't exactly as enthusiastic as Kayleigh expected.

“I know you don't wear it, but I looked in your bathroom and I couldn't see a different one…”

“I just normally go for a bit of Right Guard…” He'd never really been one for fancy grooming stuff. And once he grew out of Lynx, he'd never really bothered to find something he liked.

“I thought Beckham was a safe option… everyone likes David Beckham… and that one is meant to smell like the forest or woods or something…” Kayleigh rattled on as John opened the box and gave the bottle an experimental spray. “What do you think?”

John sniffed the air where he'd sprayed the fragrance. “Yeah, that's alright.” He showed his approval by adding a couple of sprays to his neck. 

Kayleigh got to her feet and bracing her hands on his knees, leaned in close to inspect his smell. “Hmmm… that's lovely. I'll have trouble my hands off you when you smell like that.” She gave his cheek a quick kiss before returning to the floor.

“In that case…” John picked up the bottle, sprayed it in the general direction of his torso then aimed it at his crotch.

“John!” Kayleigh admonished, then laughed as John put the bottle away and she reached for another present from under the tree. 

She pulled at a large flat floppy parcel, and in the process it got caught in a loop of tinsel from the tree and knocked another present rolling towards her. Kayleigh looked at the small, square box and froze. “John…?” Her voice was full of nerves and tension.

“It's not an engagement ring!” John exclaimed again. “See, this was why I kept saying that. I knew you'd see it and think that. And I didn't want you to get disappointed… It's not a ring.” 

Kayleigh took a deep breath and took a moment, then picked up the presents and grinned. John was impressed how quickly she'd recovered from it. It had been such a worry for him for the past couple of months. It was hard to make romantic gestures when you got the impression it wasn't the romantic gesture she wanted or hoped was happening. 

“Okay!” She said cheerily, handing John his present. “Can I open it though?” 

When John nodded her on, she tore the paper open revealing a small velvet jewellery box. She glanced up questionably at John.

“It really isn't! Just open it!” At the time of buying, John had thought it was the perfect gift. Only later did he realise what it looked like, and panicked, but in the end he'd decided to stick with it.

“Oh my God!” Kayleigh breathed, wide-eyed, as she opened the box and saw the diamond stud earrings.

“Do you like them?” It was John’s turn to be nervous.

“They're gorgeous, John.” She looked up suddenly. “Are they real diamond?” she whispered as though someone was listening to her indelicate question.

John shifted a little uncomfortably. “Well, you know when Santa came and Rudolph left a BIT of carrot…? Well, they're like that.”

“Oh my God!” she said again, as she swiftly took out the earrings she was wearing and put the new ones on. “How do they look?”

“Even more beautiful than I could imagine,” John said, feeling such a swell of love for her. 

She smiled back at him with eyes sparkling more than the diamonds. “I love them. I love you.” 

John breathed deeply. He hadn't managed to utter those three words yet, not quite anyway. He'd been all round the houses, and said it in practically every other way. But still those specific three words in that order still seemed glued to his tongue. And to her credit, Kayleigh hadn't pushed him about it. She didn't say it to him often, didn't make a big thing when he didn't say it back. It made him love her even more, yet still he hadn't said it. And he was annoyed at himself for it.

“Come on, open yours!” She urged quickly, not waiting for him to not say it back. 

John ripped open his present and saw Kayleigh had bought him a couple of “snazzy” shirts as she described them, and on top was a little package wrapped in tissue paper. 

“For when you perform with…” she paused and screwed up her eyes. “Compendium!”

“Well done,” John said dryly as he held up the patterned shirts, nodding his approval on each. He then unravelled the little parcel inside.

“It's one of those cowboy ties!” 

“Bolo tie,” John corrected.

“Eh?”

“That’s the proper name…” He contemplated how she'd managed to buy something she didn't know the name of, but realised it was somehow a very Kayleigh thing to do. Picking up the tie, he saw it featured a silver star in the middle of a black onyx-like background. It tilted it, catching the light and admired it.

“Do you like it? You can wear it with your Stetson. Go full cowboy! See? It's a star, cos you're a star!”

John gave a light laugh, and loosening the tie put it over his head. “You're just trying to turn me into Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain… there we go.”

“Looks good.” Kayleigh nodded.

“I think I'll keep it on,” John said maneuvering it properly into place.

“Your Paul, will take the piss!”

“Yes, he will… come on, let's get on.” He urged her towards the last few remaining parcels. He was itching to give her her last one.

Kayleigh pulled the last presents in front of her and counted them. “How funny, we both gave each other the same number of parcels!”

“Open that one first…” John pointed to a flat square box.

In return, Kayleigh handed him a small flimsy package. She opened hers to reveal a box of Guylian chocolate shells, and declared John was trying to make her fat, whilst John opened his to discovered a selection of magic tree air fresheners.

“For the car,” Kayleigh explained unnecessarily. ”I kind of feel it's the third wheel in this relationship, so i thought I'd get it a present…” 

“Thoughtful,” John teased, “I’m sure it’ll appreciate them.” It was true though, they did have a lot to thank the old Fiat 500 for. He hoped it had gone to a better place for its good work in getting them together. He pointed to the last box under the tree. “Last one…”

Kayleigh gave a squeal and clutched the long box to her chest. “Aww I don’t want it to end!”

John sagged. “Jesus Christ, you couldn’t wait to start earlier, make your mind up!”

“Okay, okay!” Kayleigh slowly tore a little of the paper, then quickly ripped the rest off. Her jaw dropped, and she looked from the box to John and back again. “GHDs!”

“Yeah, I checked online, and Which? said they were the best ones. Are they alright? It comes with a heat mat and a brush and-”

“A pink carry case!” Kayleigh interrupted excitedly, as she read the cover of the box.

“Yeah, well I think those ones you’ve got are probably a fire hazard, so these ones will maybe be better for you doing your hair… though Christ knows how straighteners make your hair curly!”

“You wrap it round,” she said absently, twisting her finger in the air to demonstrate as she closely examined the box. “John, I love it! I’ll be MUCH quicker in the mornings now, so you won’t have to wait for me so long… and I can use the carry case when I stay here.”

John bit his lip and looked sheepish, but said nothing. Kayleigh clambered to her feet amongst all the debris, and threw herself into John’s arms. 

“Thank you… thank you… thank you…” She covered his face with kisses as he clutched her back and tried to stop them both toppling backwards.

“You’re covering me in lipstick!” John complained, but chuckled with embarrassment. “Glad you’re happy…”

“HAPPY?!” Kayleigh pulled back to look at him. “I’m beyond words, John-”

“Bloody miracle!”

“Shut up!” Kayleigh slapped his arm. “You spent way too much, I know how much those cost.” She pointed behind her. “And I can only IMAGINE what these cost…” She tucked her hair behind her ears and pushed her earlobes forward.

“You deserve it…” John was always sensible with money, which he was sure was more than could be said for Kayleigh. It wasn’t that he wanted to be Mr Flash, he just knew she couldn’t afford these things herself. And there was an element of total gratitude in his lavishness. He wanted to show her monetarily what he hadn’t been great in showing her in words. 

“And you haven’t got your last present yet…” Kayleigh leaned down to the floor and picked up what was very obviously a CD wrapped in Christmas paper.

“I’m getting deja vu,” John said as she handed it to him. “It’s not Now 49 is it?”

“Open it!” Kayleigh urged, returning back to her knees at his feet.

Removing the paper John was stunned to see it was a Paul Simon CD - Live in New York City. 

“You haven’t got it already, have you?”

“No… I didn’t even know it existed.”

“Well, I know it’s not Simon and Garfunkel, but I thought maybe that might do…” Kayleigh said, twisting her hair around her finger nervously.

“Yeah… that’s champion, that is… really n-”

Absently John had opened the CD case, and there on top of the CD was not a post-it note but there were two tickets. John picked them up and examined them, sensing Kayleigh beaming at him.

“I’m sorry it’s for the 02, I couldn’t get any for the Arena…” she said anxiously.

John read and reread the tickets. Two tickets to see Paul Simon live at the 02 in the spring. He felt almost tearful. 

“They were sold out in seconds! Are these legit?” he asked, choked.

Kayleigh sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, John I didn’t get them off some bloke down the pub. Our Kieran’s friends with the catering manager, old college mate or something, so he managed to get me a couple of tickets… You don’t have to take me. You can take Jim, or Paul… or your Mum.”

“As if!” John put the tickets back in the CD case. “Come here…” He reached out and pulled her up into a hug. “Thank you…” 

Kayleigh pulled back and he met her in a kiss, before she rested herself on his right knee. “Are you happy?”

What a question! John didn’t think he could get happier. He didn’t think this level of joy even existed. It was like one building block of bliss after another. Having her here, sharing Christmas with her, and then this amazing gift that showed not just that she listened to him (which was a constant doubt) but that she cared so much about making him happy. And, not to forget there was the regular mind-blowing sex! He was all the more sure he’d made the right decision.

“Over the moon…” He took her hand and kissed her fingers. 

“Me too.”

“And of course I’m taking you. We’ll get a couple of days off, take a little jaunt down to the Big Smoke… I want to share this with you.”

Kayleigh grinned and clutched his other knee. “Our first trip away!”

“Well we’ve got Rick and Donna’s wedding…”

“It doesn’t count if you can catch a bus home in less time than it takes to watch Titanic.” Kayleigh stood up and rearranged her jumpsuit. “Well, I guess that’s the pressie part over…”

“Mmm-hmm,” John agreed, lying. “I’ll get a bin bag, clear all this up.”

He went into the kitchen, pulled out a bin bag from under the sink then felt about the top of the fridge-freezer until he found the envelope. He slid it into his trouser pocket, took a deep-breath and went back into the living room. 

Kayleigh was gathering all the ripped paper in her arms, and John held out the bag for her to stuff it in. 

“Oh…” he said, trying to sound casual, as Kayleigh picked up the couple of little bits that had floated away from the bag. “I forgot to give you this.”

Lying again.

He pulled the envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. Kayleigh looked confused for a second, then tore it open to reveal the “To My Girlfriend” Christmas card. Her face lit up.

“Aww, John! “Girlfriend!”” she giggled. “I didn’t get you a card.”

“No matter,” he said, waiting anxiously for her to open it properly. 

She opened the card and saw the little flat parcel wrapped in tissue paper. “What’s this? Is it Magic Trees?”

“Just something I saw a while ago,” John said.

Before opening the parcel, Kayleigh removed it and read the verse in the card. John couldn’t remember what it said, only that he’d signed “all my love, John.” Her lips moved along with the words as she read, then looked up at John.

“Do you mean it?” 

“Of course,” John answered, though not entirely sure what she was asking he meant. He assumed it was the “all my love” part, and he certainly did. “Open the present…”

Kayleigh gave him a watery smile, and began to unroll the parcel. “Is it a bookmark? It feels heavy…”

She finally removed all the tissue paper and revealed the keyring John had bought for her. Spelling out “Kayleigh” in white enamel, it featured Minnie Mouse lying along the top of the letters. 

“Aww that’s so cute! I hardly ever see my name on stuff.”

“Yeah, I remember you saying. I saw it when I was in the Disney shop in Bristol with my Mum.” John remembered the day vividly, looking for something to take home from the weekend for Ben and Sophie, and seeing her name staring out at him from the rack. He’d found himself grinning inanely in the middle of the shop, and hurriedly picked up the keyring and hid it amongst the soft toys in his hands before his Mum spotted his face and asked questions.

Kayleigh smoothed her fingers over it. “I love it! I’ll go and put my keys on it now…” 

John caught her wrist as she turned to go out the room. “Uh, maybe you could add this to it?”

He went back into his trouser pocket and pulled out a key, holding it aloft.

Kayleigh jerked her head back. “For here?”

John nodded solemnly and found himself biting his lip again.

“That’s so nice… although i never come here without you picking me up, so seems a bit daft…”

John was thrown by that statement. He hadn’t thought she’d think it was just to let herself in before he got home. “Well, I was thinking, maybe you could be…”

“Eh?” 

This wasn’t going smoothly.

“If you… lived here…”

Finally the penny dropped and Kayleigh’s eyes went wide, as John still stood holding the key in the air between them.

“Really?” Her voice was practically ultrasonic it was so high.

John nodded, and dropped his hand with a sigh. “Look I’m not quite ready for… the other thing… not just yet. I thought we could see how we go living together.”

Kayleigh’s body relaxed and she took a step back closer to him. “You hate change! I’m scared to even leave a toothbrush here incase it freaks you out! Are you sure? I’ve not pressured you have I?”

John had to laugh at the way she sounded like a teenage boy amazed his girlfriend is going to give him her virginity. Of course, that would make him the virgin.

“No.. Jesus, no! I want to have you here, I like having you here… a lot. It gets harder and harder to drop you off. I just don’t want you to leave.”

Kayleigh pressed her lips together with emotion. “I’d really, really like that.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. 

“Good,” he said, “cos I love you, and I want you to live here with me.”

Kayleigh pulled back sharply. “You said it!”

“I did!” John beamed with pride. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, like all the jigsaw pieces had slipped into place, and he wondered why he’d been so worried about this for so long.

“Say it again…”

“I love you.”

Kayleigh squealed with delight and gripped him round the neck again with such vigour he thought his head might explode.

“Alright, alright, come on, we better get a shift on…” He extracted her from his neck and kissed her cheek. “You taking this or not?” He held up the key and Kayleigh grabbed it from him.

“Yes!... Hang on, you went to Bristol with your mum in July! Were you thinking of asking me to move in with you since July?!”

“No!” John chuckled. “But I was thinking of you…”

With intermittent squeaks of pleasure from Kayleigh, they tidied up and gathered their things. Finally they were ready to head out the door as Kayleigh brought her overnight bag downstairs.

“We never thought of a song,” she pouted as she dumped her bag on the floor. 

“Oh yeah…. Hmmm let me have a look.” John pulled out his phone and did a quick search. As he did, the radio in the bathroom was still chirping away in the background, and suddenly John’s ear tuned to it. His face broke into a smile. “Listen!”

Kayleigh angled her head to listen better. “What is it?”

“The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood… number one December 1984. Not Christmas number one though, cos of Band Aid.” John said as Kayleigh stood contemplating it. “I'm so in love with you, Purge the soul, Make love your goal…” he eventually sang along.

The response was a practically glowing Kayleigh. “Oh I LOVE it… Yes, that’s the one… The Power of Love… I think that suits us.”

John nodded his head resolutely. “Sorted.”

“Look at you…” Kayleigh reached over and touched his cheek. “Saying the L word left right and centre now!”

“I know. Broken the seal, haven’t I? It’s like your first piss when you have a drink…”

Kayleigh wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, you’re ruining the romance now… So, can I tell people?” she asked, as she put her coat on.

“If you want…”

She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t WAIT to tell my Mum, that’ll shut her up!”

John tutted. “And what about your Mandy?”

“Oh she’ll be delighted to get rid of me. Best Christmas present ever.”

“I doubt it,” John said rubbing her back.

“Hmm maybe not, at least with me there we can gang up together on Steve. Well she’s on her own now, cos I’ve got my OWN man to nag!” She laughed and clutched the lapel of John’s coat.

“Mother of God, what have I let myself in for?!” John exclaimed to the ceiling. 

“So, when does it happen then?” Kayleigh asked, ignoring him.

“What happen?”

“Me moving in.”

“Christ, don’t let the grass grow under your feet do you?” John laughed.

Kayleigh’s face fell. “Am I rushing you?”

“No! I’m teasing you.” Truthfully, John was delighted by her response and was already missing her before they’d even left the house. “Whenever you want… I’ve got a few days off the second week of January, I could help you shift-”

“What about New Year’s Day?” 

John scoffed. “You’ll be too hungover to move your arse, let alone move house!”

“I won’t drink!”

That elicited a full, head-thrown-back laugh from John, who then simply looked skeptically at her.

“I WON’T!” Kayleigh promised. “I mean it. I want to start the new year in my new home living my new life.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” John was, to say the least, doubtful. She was the queen of making promises she couldn’t keep - particularly when it came to the lure of a wine or six.

“I am! Just you wait and see. I won’t drink a drop, and you can come over first thing and we’ll pack up all my stuff. It’ll only take one trip… depressingly.” Kayleigh fiddled with the handle on her overnight bag. 

“Okay, if you say so… right, come on, are we going or not? We’re going to be late, and I don’t want to miss me starter!”

Kayleigh sighed happily, then suddenly made a silent O with her mouth. She began raking through her overnight bag before John could blink.

“What’s up?”

“Hang on…” Kayleigh pulled something from her bag then began to dash upstairs. 

When she ran into the bathroom John called up after her. “You alright? Switch the radio off while you’re up there!”

She reappeared almost immediately and grinned down at him. “Yup!” She jumped down the last two stairs, and put a hand on John’s arm. “I was just leaving my toothbrush!”

John gave a little laugh. “Oh right, marking your territory, eh?”

She nodded vigorously. “You going to tell your Mum?”

He thought about it for a moment. As embarrassing as he found any kind of revelation about his emotions and his private life, he felt oddly proud at this turn of events. He was chuffed he’d “manned up” as Paul would say, and more than that he was unbelievably proud that Kayleigh was the one he’d “manned up” with. He knew his mum would be almost as happy as he was. It could be the good news they needed this Christmas.

“Yeah, yeah I will.”

Kayleigh did a little silent squeal and scrunched her shoulders up in excitement. “Paul will DEFINITELY take the piss though.”

“Yes, yes he will,” John said, as he picked up Kayleigh’s bag, along with his bag of gifts for his family. “But some things are worth it.”

He pulled the door closed, and before he got a chance, Kayleigh pulled her new keyring out of her pocket, and waved it in front of his face. 

“Go for it…” John held out his arm and bowed.

Kayleigh slipped her new key into the lock and secured the door to her new home.


End file.
